A few weeks ago, I was gifted a Golden Bird harmonica from my teacher, Todd Parrott. What made it really special was that it featured his signature tuning, which had the 7 draw tuned a half step down. It was my first experience with an alternate tuned harmonica. I find it really useful if you want to play the minor pentatonic scale without having to need the 6 overblow on a standard richter tuned harp. You can still make these overblow and overdraw to make the missing notes like in this video right here.
@KeroroRinChou , I think in some ways, depending on your goals, being a raw beginner is an advantage when exploring alternate tunings.
I imagine it would be harder to appreciate them once you’re used to standard tuning. I’d certainly have a lot of trouble if 2 or more guitar strings were tuned flatter or sharper than usual.
It’s something that interests me a lot.
With the crowd I’ve always hung around with, me trying to become a traditional blues harp player would be redundant.
I need the techniques, but I have different goals, and want to find the tunings that let me play more instinctively.
Yeah I’ve been playing guitar for even longer than harmonica, and at this point, after decades, I’m comfortable playing in Drop D, Open G tuning DGDGBD, open Gm tuning DGDGBbD, open E tuning EBEG#BE, open C tuning CGCGCE… It didn’t.happen overnight.
Similarly, on the harmonica I’m comfy with Melody Maker, Natural Minor, Harmonica Minor, and I’m starting to get comfy with Wilde Rock Tuning.
I want to tune one of my harps to contry tuning which is only -5 sharp, so that you can play major scale in 2nd position - but whereas the the Lee Oskar Melody Maker you play 3 for the major 2nd interval, I rather enjoy the expressiveness of the -3". So wanting to explore this for songs like Over the Rainbow and Georgia on My Mind.
Other than that, @KeroroRinChou I also want to tune one of my harps to Parrot tuning! Really looking forward to checking that out.
I’m not necessarily a beginner, I’m basically pro-experimental. Even though I play a bit like Terry McMillan, I like to experiment with my harps and see what kind of sounds they over like with different tunings and such.